Background
Mr. Chang Kia-ngau was born at Paoshan Hsien, Jiangsu in 1888.
Mr. Chang Kia-ngau was born at Paoshan Hsien, Jiangsu in 1888.
At the age of thirteen Mr. Chang studied in the School of Foreign Languages which was located in the Kiangnan Arsenal and in which Lu Chwang-hsiang, Chinese Minister to Switzerland and Liu Ching-jen, former Chinese Minister to Russia also received their education.
After studying three years in that institution Mr. Chang entered the Politique School in Peking, where he studied for one year and a half. In recognition of his scholarship he was sent by the school to Japan to pursue a higher education. While in Japan Mr. Chang studied economics at the Keio University.
After the completion of courses Mr. Chang returned to China and joined the Board of Communications as a senior clerk. When the first revolution broke out he went to Shanghai and actively participated in politics.
In the first year of the Republic Mr. Chang was appointed Secretary to the Military Governor of Zhejiang, late General Chu Jui. When the formal Parliament met before the second revolution in 1913 he was made the Chief Secretary of the Senate.
After the dissolution of Parliament by the late President Yuan Shih-kai Mr. Chang joined the Bank of China. Subsequently he was appointed vice-manager of the Shanghai branch.
Since 1914 Mr. Chang was in the service of that Bank. During the third revolution against the monarchical movement of Yuan Shih-kai in 1915 the government proposed the suspension of specie payment. Mr. Chang strongly objected to the proposal but as he could not change the decision of the government in this matter he redeemed all the Shanghai notes of the Bank of China with silver dollars.
In the autumn of 1917 when Liang Ohi-chiao was appointed Minister of Finance he invited Mr. Chang to become the vice-governor of the Bank of China, which offer he accepted. He was elected a member of the board of directors by the shareholders at the beginning of 1919 and was also re-appointed vice-governor.
In June 1922 Mr. Chang was again re-elected Vice-Governor of the Bank. In July 1922 he was appointed a member of all China Finance Discussion Commission.
Mr. Chang was a Chinese scholar like his brother - Carson Chang. He knew English and Japanese and spoke some French.
